Children's Reasoning About Social Exclusion: Balancing Many Factors

Abstract Social exclusion is pervasive throughout development. In this article, I explore the factors involved in children's and adolescents' reasoning about and evaluation of group-based exclusion: (a) social-cognitive skill level, (b) social-contextual factors, (c) emotion evaluations, and (d) competing moral and group-based norms. Social exclusion in group-based contexts involves balancing moral principles (focused on preventing harm and ensuring just and equitable treatment) with loyalty and allegiance to one's group. Children and adolescents evaluate these complex scenarios by weighing contextual factors, considering the role of the emotions experienced by excluders and by those who are excluded, and relying on their social-cognitive skills and knowledge. With age, children reason about social exclusion with greater and more nuanced sophistication across many contexts.